Actor Vijay’s much-awaited film with Raja Rani director Atlee has finally released on the Tamil New Year. With record collections marking the opening day, on the very next day, the Telugu version of the film, Police has hit the screens and AP and Telangana. The film does begin on an engaging not but what happens later, read on to know
Story : Joseph is living with the little Nivi in an isolated life. He tries to keep himself away from unwanted attention because he worries for the little girl. But he has a past; Vijay Kumar. Having been a sincere police officer who put the criminals to justice, an instance of this sort puts him in exile. But circumstances demand that he comes back and takes revenge for what all he was made to witness.
Analysis: The thing about commercial cinema is that we do not really go expecting a great deal. All the audience needs is some moments of high, the ones which urge the masses to hoot and whistle at. And in that sense, Police has a lot of such moments. Be it the “lesson” he teaches a set of goons in a classroom or the terrific interval block or the introduction chase sequence. They all are amazing. But then, that’s the problem! The film has only few of them and we are left wanting for more.
Again, the mainstay of most star films are the plot lines we have seen a number of times earlier. And if skilfully woven around that, we still get an entertaining watch. Otherwise, we are left with a passable fare which is highly predictable. As the story moves forward, more and more, the factor of predictability increases because you know that the hero has a flashback. You realize that he’s going to take revenge because at some point the villain is going to make a re-entry into his life.
On the whole, the film is a mash of Baasha with the rape plot of the Pataas and Temper. But only a vague version of the parts pulled out. The first half is the better part of the film with the second part just moving extremely slowly. While director Atlee presents some wonderful moments throughout the film, like the moment Samantha is shot (sorry for the spoiler!), the little boy eating the five star chocolate, it’s surprising how with all his potential he gives us a film which falters in the narration, especially after a film like Raja Rani.
Performances : Vijay is in his element but at times seems to lose the charm. His comic timing is laudable and his expressions make us understand why he’s so loved by the masses. Nainika is the soul of the film, adding to Vijay’s energy. Samantha and Amy, however, are lost in some badly written roles despite giving a great performance. Same is the case with Mahendran who fails to create the required nerve-chilling villain experience despite all the hype.
Verdict: This film is a fare only for fans who’d enjoy the antics of their favorite star. For others, it doesn’t manage to reach the expectations the trailer of the film built. The film is aided by some amazing background score and cinematography, but is that enough?
